Protector for railroad-rails.



E. ALGOTT. PROTECTOR FOR RAILROAD RAILS.

APPLIOATION IIILED JAN.10, 1913.

Patented May 20, 1913.

EDWARD ALCOTT, OF IVIANASSAS, VIRGINIA.

PROTECTOR FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1913.

Applicationfiled- January 10, 1913. Serial No. 741,295.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, EDWARD ALcoTT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Manassas, in the. county of Prince Villi'am and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and: useful Improvements in Protectors for Railroad-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of railways and has particularly in view simple means for protecting fish plates and other rail connections so that the paving adjacent thereto will not damage such connections, the protecting means also serving to prevent loosening of the connections such as is incidental to rail vibrations.

Theinvention contemplates the provision of a protector which will be carriedby a rail and cooperate therewith to form a housing in which the rail connections and the fasteners therefor are entirely inclosed, the protector being so formed that it provides an abutment for the paving which permits the rail to move or vibrate relatively to the paving without damaging the paving, and in which the paving holds the protector in position to shield the rail connections.

One simple and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein V Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a rail equipped with the improved protector. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the protector.

The improved protector has been shown as held in position on the rail by the type of paving set forth in my Patent 929,366, dated July 27, 1909, whereinwedges or keys are employed in connection with granite or other types of stones, the wedges in the present showing serving to force and hold the stones in contact with the protector and thereby hold the protector in position to shield the rail connections and hold them in proper position.

\Vhile the improved protector is of considerable value in connection with the type of paving set forth in the aforesaid patent, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use, for the same can be, and frequently is, used in connection with other types of paving.

The protector may be formed of any suit able material, such as wood or metal, wood being preferred as it is noiseless and possesses a certain amount of elasticity. The

between the tread and base flange thereof, I

and spanning one or more of the plates or other rail connections.

The protectors are of sufiicient thickness so that they will project a slight distance beyond the longitudinal edges of the widest portions of the rails to prevent the paving contacting with said rails. The surfaces of the protectors adjacent the paving, are in the, form ,of smooth straight flat walls 5 against whichthe paving abuts. The surfaces adjacent the rails'are cut-away longitudinally to form a recess 6 for the reception of the fish plate 7 or other type of rail connection, and the end walls of the said recesses 6 are in the form of laterally projecting end pieces 8 which overlap the ends of the fish plates and abut the webs of the rails. The recesses 6 may be provided with a longitudinal row of sockets 9 which receive the heads of the bolts, or nutsof the fasteners for the rail connections. The sockets 9, of course, are shaped complemental to the portions of the fasteners they are to receive, the ones shown being in the form of rounded sockets to receive heads of bolts that are rounded.

In use the protectors are placed both on the inside and outside of joined rails,'spanning the rail connections, with their upper edges in contact with theundersurfaces of the treads, their lower edges seated on the base flanges, and the free ends of the angular end pieces overlapping the ends of the rail con nections and abutting the web. The paving is then laid and by means of the wedges, or filling if other types of paving is used, the stones, blocks, or paving material adjacent the rails, is forced into contact with the outer smooth surfaces of the protectors with sufficient force to hold the protectors in position to hold the rail connections in positions on the rails. With this arrangement of protectors on both sides of the joined rails, it will be clear that the connections are held in immovable relation to the rails, and the fasteners being also held at both ends, said fasteners can not jar loose.

As has been stated, the protectors are provided with the angular ends that abut the webs of the rails, and as said protectors are carried by the rails, it will be seen that they cooperate with the rails to form housings that entirely inclose the rail connections, thereby not only shielding the connections from atmospheric influences, but also holding the connections immovable relative to the rails.

Another prominent feature of the invention is that the outer longitudinal surfaces of the protectors being smooth and straight, the rails, with the protectors vibrate relative to the paving without affecting the pavin and the outer surfaces of the angular end pieces 8 being also smooth and straight, form abutments for rail filler blocks, such, for eX- ample as are set forth, in my patent No. 1,028,420, dated June 4, 1912.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 2- 1. A protector for rail connections comprising a block of Wood shaped to be carried by the side of a rail and presenting a smooth outer wall to the abutting paving,

. the inner surface of the block being cutaway to provide a recess for the reception of a rail connection, the ends of the recess abutting the rail webs, the base of the recess being provided with sockets for the reception of the ends of connection fasteners.

A protector for rail connections comprising a block of Wood shaped to be carried by the side of a rail and presenting a smooth outer wall to the abutting paving, the inner surface of the block being cut-away to provide a longitudinal recess for the reception of a rail connection, the base of the recess abutting the connection fasteners, the formation of the recess-providing angular end Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

